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“A Prodigal Son, a Prodigal Father, and a Pharisaical Brother” (Luke 15:1-3, 11-32) In our text today from Luke 15, the scribes and Pharisees are tut-tutting Jesus because he was hanging around with tax collectors and other obvious sinners. And he was not only welcoming them, Jesus was even having meals with them, table fellowship. “This man receives sinners and eats with them,” the scribes and Pharisees grumble--not even using Jesus’ name, just calling him “this man,” with a sneer in their voice. Yeah, this was too much for these pious and respectable religious leaders. They figured a true servant...

“When You See Such Blind Ignorance, What Do You Think?” (Luke 22:63 – 23:1) Tonight we’re going to look at how Luke describes the trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin. Luke’s account is focused and shorter than the other gospels. It’s simplified, streamlined, stripped down. But what does Luke give us? Well, first, he tells us what those who had arrested Jesus were already doing to him, and from that it becomes clear where all this is going. Even before Jesus stands in front of the Sanhedrin, even before they have a chance to reject him, those who arrested Jesus...

“The Blood of the Galileans” (Luke 13:1-9) Whenever there’s a terrible tragedy in the news--a bombing that kills women and children in Ukraine, the police officer shot and killed in Bonne Terre on Thursday, a tornado that levels a town--people search for answers. They’re perplexed. They don’t understand. “Why?” they ask. “Why did this awful thing happen?” And they look for someone to blame. They blame the perpetrator, if it’s a crime. Sometimes they blame the victim, thinking they must have had it coming to them. Sometimes they blame God, who let this evil thing happen. Those are the standard...

“The Real Battle” (Luke 22:39-62)When I was a kid, and still to this day, I have been a fan of the Sherlock Holmes stories: Sherlock Holmes, the great detective solving crimes in London around the turn of the last century. At one point, Holmes realizes that behind a crime wave--blackmail, murder, and so on--behind it all is a single man: Professor Moriarty. Everyone else is just a pawn in his schemes, but Professor Moriarty is the guiding mastermind. “The Napoleon of Crime” you could call him. And so, Holmes is out to outwit and defeat his greatest enemy. The other...

“Jesus Is Determined--and Compassionate” (Luke 13:31-35) Two things that we see about Jesus in our text today: 1) He is determined, and 2) He is compassionate. And that combination is the very best news for you. Let’s take a look now, under the theme, “Jesus Is Determined--and Compassionate.” First of all, Jesus is determined. He’s determined to finish what he started. Nothing or no one can scare him off, not the Pharisees, not Herod the tetrarch of Galilee. Our text begins: “At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to [Jesus], ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to...

“He Was Numbered among the Transgressors” (Luke 22:14, 24-38) This reading from Luke 22 is like watching a car wreck as it’s starting to happen. You can see the danger signs that could lead up to a crash, and if it keeps going like that, something bad is about to happen. The apostles, Jesus’ handpicked inner circle, are there with him in the upper room. And there’s sort of a back-and-forth between Jesus and these disciples. But it’s painful to watch; it’s even frightening. Evil is at work in the events leading up to Jesus’ suffering and death, and, in...

“Tempted” (Luke 4:1-13) “Tempted”: Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness. But was the problem so much in what he was being tempted with or more in the timing of the temptations? Let’s find out. And as we do, you will see a faithful Savior, who is just the right one for you. Jesus has just been baptized in the Jordan River. At his baptism, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus, and the Father’s voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Now Jesus is about to start his public ministry....

“You Meant It for Evil, But God Meant It for Good” (Luke 22:1-13) In the beautiful rhythm of the church year, here we are again. It’s Lent, a time to reflect and repent, to pray and praise, to remember and rejoice in our Lord Jesus Christ, as he moves humbly toward the cross and then powerfully in victory from the grave. Lent leads us to Easter. This year, we’ll be following Jesus’ story in the Gospel according to Luke. Today, on Ash Wednesday, we begin our Lenten journey toward Easter under the theme, “You Meant It for Evil, But God...

“At the Transfiguration: Moses, a Mountain, and an Exodus” (Luke 9:28-36)Today is the Transfiguration of Our Lord. It’s the last Sunday of the Epiphany season before we enter Lent this week on Ash Wednesday. Our text is Luke’s account of the Transfiguration. In all three accounts, in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we see Jesus transfigured, on a mountain, standing with Moses and Elijah, talking with them. Only in Luke, though, do we find out what they were talking about. And so our theme this morning: “At the Transfiguration: Moses, a Mountain, and an Exodus.” Moses? A mountain? An exodus? Our...

“An Ark to Preserve Us from Destruction” (Genesis 6:9-22) Now the whole earth was corrupt in God’s sight. The earth was filled with violence. All flesh had corrupted their way. The world was ripe for destruction. But there was this one man, Noah, who found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a righteous man--oh, not that he was without sin, but Noah trusted in the Lord, and his life reflected it. Noah walked with God. So God determined that he was going to wipe out the earth, give it a good scouring. He was going to do...

“Sharing in Your Father’s Character” (Luke 6:27-38) Listen to the things Jesus tells us to do today: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.” Sounds like a tall order! Are you up to it? Well, I’m going to say yes!...

“Robes Made White in the Blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9-17) You may have noticed this photo as you came into church today. It’s a picture of Pastor Tom Reeder wearing a white robe and a white stole, preaching from this pulpit. It was taken during the Easter season a couple of years ago--you can see the white Easter paraments on the altar. This was the photo that I posted on my Facebook page on Friday when I announced that Pastor Reeder had fallen asleep in Jesus on Thursday night. I thought it really depicted Pastor as most of you...

“Plain Speaking: Blessings and Woes” (Luke 6:17-26) Our text today, from Luke chapter 6, begins with these words: “And he came down with them and stood on a level place.” Who is the “he,” who is the “them,” and where is he coming down from? The “he” is Jesus, the “them” are his twelve disciples, and where Jesus is coming down from is a mountain. He had been up on that mountain all night, praying. In the morning, he came down and gathered together the twelve, along with a whole bunch of his other followers. Having come down from the...

“Catching Men Alive” (Luke 5:1-11) Last week we saw Jesus’ authoritative word in action: proclaiming good news to the poor, proclaiming liberty to the captives, setting at liberty those who are oppressed. We saw his authority in doctrine, his authority over demons, his authority over disease and death. This week we see Jesus’ authoritative word in action again, this time persuading fishermen, catching fish, and using the witness of sinners to be “Catching Men Alive.” Our text is the Holy Gospel for today, from Luke chapter 5. Jesus is teaching people the word of God as he’s standing by the...

“Jesus’ Word Possesses Authority” (Luke 4:31-44) In last week’s Gospel, from the first half of Luke chapter 4, we heard Jesus say what he was anointed and sent to do. He quoted these words from the book of the prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Now in this week’s Gospel, from...

“What Jesus Has Been Anointed and Sent to Do” (Luke 4:16-30) Here’s a question: What did Jesus come to do? Today Jesus himself tells us. He’s at church, and he stands up to read the Old Testament Reading--well, actually, they were all Old Testament readings at that point. He reads it, and then he says, “This is about me.” Boom! Mic drop. Jesus’ ministry, described in a few short lines. Oh, and you’re included in this text. So listen now, as we hear “What Jesus Has Been Anointed and Sent to Do.” The situation is this: Jesus has been baptized...

“The Sign of the Water into Wine at the Wedding” (John 2:1-11) “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory.” It was a sign. The thing about a sign is, you need to be able to read it and know what it means. A sign points to something beyond itself. So, what does this sign point to? What does it tell us? Let’s find out now, about “The Sign of the Water into Wine at the Wedding.” The sign that we’re looking at today is Jesus changing water into wine at the...

“Epiphany, Baptism, and a Tale of Two Herods” (Matthew 2:1-12; Luke 3:15-22) Every year, the Epiphany of Our Lord always falls on January 6, which was this past Thursday. The Gospel reading for Epiphany is the visit of the wise men, from Matthew 2. On the first Sunday after the Epiphany, which is today, we always observe the Baptism of Our Lord. And this year the Gospel reading is the account from Luke. This past Thursday, we had to cancel our Epiphany service. So now today, I decided to combine the readings for the two services, the Epiphany of Our...

“The January 6 Epiphany Insurrection” (Matthew 2:1-12) It’s January 6. A group of visitors travel to the nation’s capital. They are there to raise questions about who the nation’s real leader is. This does not sit well with some in positions of power. They consider people raising such questions in a bad light. They think of those who challenge their authority as “insurrectionists” who need to be put down. No, I’m not talking about what happened on January 6 one year ago today. That was when a group of protestors went to Washington, D.C., to raise questions about who really...

“Mary and Joseph, Did You Know?” (Luke 2:40-52) Every year when the radio stations start playing Christmas music--like, when, around November 1? And then they stop playing Christmas music right on Christmas Day, when the Christmas season is just beginning, when there are eleven more days of Christmas still to go. But I digress. So, when the radio stations start playing Christmas music, there’s a song you will hear--oh, about 157 times--called “Mary, Did You Know?” And every time I hear it, I want to shout back at the radio, “Yes, of course she knew! The angel Gabriel told her!”...